a/n Ok, it's taking a while for them to get together, but these two are emotionally distant assholes.

Donnie & Mizu's relationship continued to grow over the next few weeks. They went to a few places where Mizu thought they could keep a low profile, but otherwise just hung out at her apartment. Occasionally she was able to talk Donatello into a drink or two and it always resulted in drunken making out. Otherwise they kept the relationship as platonic as possible, much to Donatello's confusion. He was definitely feeling something, and if PBR had any say in things so was she, but he didn't push the issue. She had been invited to join Donatello & his family up at the farm house with April & Casey, but she had made plans with her own family, and she was nervous. She had never met any of them before & Christmas? That was far too intense for a first time meeting with his family, mutants or no. She politely declined, but Donatello could sense there was something else lingering in her tone. They spent the morning before he left texting.

D: Are you sure everything is ok? Did I upset you?

M: I don't know, I've got a bad case of green static cling…

D: Shit, I blew it. Did I blow it?

M: Donnie, has anyone ever told you you are kind of needy? :P

D: Yes. Lots. Mostly you.

M: We're good ok. My family wants to see me and it's been like a year.

D: You're sure that's why you didn't want to come?

M: OH MY GOD DONNIE!

D: What?!

M: Ok, I'm going now, I've got a long drive ahead of me and so do you. We'll hang out when you get back. Tell your bros & dad I said Happy Festivus.

D: Festivus?

M: I'll explain later. Try not to make out with any girls under mistletoe xoxo

"Jesus Christ. Why the hell does she do that?" Donnie didn't even realize he had said that out loud when Raph grabbed his phone.

"Do what bro? When we gonna meet dis broad anyways?"

"Send mixed signals, and I invited her to the farmhouse Christmas but she said no. Give my phone back."

"Ya know, for such a brainiac you are such a moron sometimes. Ya axed her to da family holiday shindig? Dumbass. You two even dating? HA! She called ya 'Static Cling?!' I think I like dis broad. If you don't make a move I just might. She ain't ugly is she?"

"She's not and don't you fucking dare. I don't see how our relationship status is any of your business, Raph."

"It ain't. But it ain't a great time for any chick to meet da family, especially if you twos ain't serious. Trust me on dis bro."

Donatello mulled Raphael's advice before his brother spoke back up. "Leo sent me in here ta fetch you. We're ready ta go. Also bro, you gotta play dis one cool. Invite her to the new year's bash. But wait a few days for her ta stop bein' pissed at ya."

The holiday came & went, and Mizu managed to drag Elric out of her parents' house and back home.

"It's a grandmother's prerogative to spoil her grand-dog… If you had kids I wouldn't have to spoil the dog you know. Any prospects…"

"Actually, maybe…" She wound up telling her mom a bit about Donatello leaving out certain sewery mutant parts. "We met at the movies Mom. He's very smart, and works in a lab. We're taking it slow and seeing where it goes." Hey, sometimes you just have to quell the beast, right?

"Oh, a scientist?! I'm so glad for you honey! Just don't scare him off, ok?"

"Wow… um ok mom. Can you stop feeding Elric sugar cookies now? I'd like to be able take some of those home, you know" Her calm exterior hid the fact that underneath her mind was spinning. Did she actually think of Donatello as boyfriend material? He was nice, and cute for a green guy. She definitely thought he was attractive, and smart. Suddenly she was faced with having to confront her growing feelings for her unconventional friend, and if that kept up she'd have to have "the talk" with him. A prospect that she didn't exactly want to think about at the moment.

"Hey, Dad? Can you make us some hot buttered rum?!"

She got home the morning after Christmas, and spent the day mentally unwinding & snuggling with Elric while watching . Say what you want about her parents but her step-dad was pretty cool and had scrounged up some of the 80's episodes on dvd for her Christmas present, as well as the first four seasons of Doctors Nine & Ten. Her mother didn't understand their mutual love of the show but it gave them something to bond over. Mizu decided to make a weekend of it and continued her marathon into Sunday. She didn't even notice how much time had passed until she heard a knock at her window. Elric leapt off the couch trampling her legs in the process.

Donatello heard the barking and yelling from inside the apartment and smiled. He liked that she had Elric there to watch over her, even if they did butt heads a bit.

"Hey Mizu, Can I come in?"

"Of course, next time just text me a heads up and come on in. I'll keep the window unlocked if I'm home."

Donnie ducked inside and was pleasantly startled when he heard that last part. "Oh, um thanks… I did try to text you though, but you didn't answer."

"Oh, jeez, I must have forgotten to charge my phone. I've been caught up in a Dr. Who veg-a-thon. Care to join me?"

"That sounds suspiciously like a trap…"

"Hahaha I promise it's not. It's a British science fiction show, Make yourself comfy. I have some hot cider on the stove, want some? Don't worry, it's virginal."

"Yeah, actually that sounds great"

She grinned and waved her mug in his face "Good, get me one too while you're up."

"I knew it was a trap."

Mizu settled back into her nest on the couch secretly grateful she had bothered to shower earlier that day. She was pulling up the first episode with the Ninth Doctor when Donatello came back out of the kitchen with the mugs.

"Here you go" He handed her mug back full of steaming apple cider. "Hey Mizu, I have something I want to ask you…"

"Mmmm?" she said taking a sip of the hot beverage while clutching her mug with both hands.

"I was wondering if you would like to come to my family's New Year / birthday bash?"

Mizu stopped mid sip. "Mmmm Your what now? Who's birthday?"

"All of ours, except for my father's. We don't know when we were born, or perhaps hatched is more accurate? Anyway, we don't like celebrating our mutation and aren't quite sure what day that happened either, so we have decided as a family that we would celebrate our birthdays on New Year's Day…"

"Are you inviting me to your birthday party?" Mizu asked with a slightly amused tone. "You're adorable."

"So… will you go?"

"Yeah ok." She made a mental note to ask him about gift ideas later. He was easy, but she had never met his brother before.

"Really?! You aren't just putting me on?" He couldn't believe his brother was right.

"Yeah, really I'll go. Now, can we please watch the dvd? It's been a really long week."

"That rough at your family's huh?"

"Sort of. Just mom being a typical mom, I don't really want to talk about it." Mizu sighed hit play on the remote as Donatello took her mug away from her and put it down on the coffee table next to his, and laid down wedged behind her pulled her close making her lay down in front of him.

"What are you doing?"

"Seizing the moment. It isn't every day Elric isn't monopolizing your sofa. Now shut up, you made me miss the beginning." Mizu detected the hint of a smirk in his voice as he pulled the blanket up over them and draped an arm around her middle and nuzzled the bottom half of his face into the nape of her neck and breathed in the scent of her vanilla shampoo.

"You're lucky I'm too tired to fight off your advances Don-Juan."

"What advances? I'm just trying to get warm and watch tv with my friend."

"Oh, you're good… a little too good…"

"Shush. British antics. Banter later." Mizu conceded and propped her head up at a better angle with a throw pillow. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in. He was surprisingly comfortable to lay against and god he smelled delicious… spicy, and clean. A classic but comforting no-nonsense kind of guy-smell. She had never noticed it before & they had never been this close before, unless they were tipsy and kissing… And dryer sheets. His sweatshirt smelled like dryer sheets. Mizu decided that she could have "the talk" with Donnie after his party, but for now she would enjoy her time with him. She sighed contentedly and sleepily enjoyed the warmth of the situation and wondered how he did his laundry living in a sewer and all. It wasn't long until sleep came and took them both.